The Cleveland Browns knew they had to step up to help Shedeur Sanders earn his first NFL win. They got their chance against one of the league’s weakest teams, the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sanders made some notable plays in the game, and it was an overall positive performance, despite a few mistakes. Dylan Sampson had a big 66-yard TD on a pass from Shedeur Sanders that became one of the highlights of the day.
Sampson had seven carries for 23 yards and led the team in receiving with two catches for 59 yards, including a touchdown.
That’s why it’s not much of a surprise to see that he’s been nominated as the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week. With 82 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown, he joined the likes of Cam Ward, Barrett Carter, Darius Alexander, Ashton Jeanty, and Jaylen Reed on that list.
Who should be the Week 12 @pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week?
Vote now ➡️ https://t.co/aSx1vIATxP pic.twitter.com/kZIzHyOedF
— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2025
Sampson Shows Potential Despite Limited Role
Sampson hasn’t been as involved in the running game as expected this season. He took a back seat to fellow rookie RB Quinshon Judkins, and he hasn’t been much of a factor lately.
Even so, he’s shown glimpses of his explosiveness, and his abilities as a pass catcher make him a perfect fit to run an up-tempo offense and in obvious passing down situations. The fourth-round rookie out of Tennessee has a bright future ahead of him, and he should have many more big performances like this once he gets more experience and playing time.
With Sanders announced as the starting quarterback again on Sunday against the 49ers, Sampson will likely see an increased role as a receiver out of the backfield. With everything that we saw last Sunday in his performance against the Raiders, that will only be a good thing.
NEXT: Young Browns WR Is Making Strong Case For Bigger Role
